Classifying
The Dead End
In
the retrospective we learnt about the poisoned path that 400,000
Americans traverse each year. Although we know that these
premature dead ends are caused by smoking it is hard to classify
them? What are they murders, suicides or accidents?
When
examining the influence of the tobacco industry, one is tempted to
call all tobacco related deaths murder. The tobacco industry uses
manipulative advertising trying to make smoking appear harmless,
sexy, sophisticated, and adult. These tactics help manipulate
adults and kids into experimenting with this highly addictive
substance. The tobacco institute always contradicts the
research of all credible medical institutions who have unanimously
stated that cigarettes are lethal. What is more surprising is the
blind eye stance taken by the Government towards proven Medical
facts. Infact most Governments world wide have a strong vested
interest in tobacco production and dissemination. An outdated
statistics of the mid 1980 shows that the United States Federal
Government generated over 6 billion $s annually as tax revenues
from tobacco products.
Thus the tobacco industry empowered by powerful lobbies in
the Government knows fully well that if they can just get people
started, they can hook them on cigarettes and milk them for
thousands of dollars over the smoker's lifetime. Doesn't matter if
the smoker has to pay by inhabiting the coffin, they have to fill
their coffers. Sounds more like cold blooded murder.
It
could be argued that a smoking death is suicide. While the tobacco
industry may dismiss the dangers, any smoker with even average
intelligence knows that cigarettes are bad for health but
continues to smoke anyway. But I do not believe in classifying
most of the smoking deaths as suicidal. Although a smoker knows
the risk and still doesn't stop, it is not that he is trying to
kill himself. He smokes because after becoming a nicholic, he
doesn't know how to stop. As if his feet remains firmly glued to
the accelerator, even when he knows fully well that there are good
enough reasons to slam the brakes
. And then Crash - Bang - Boom!!!!!
A
smoking related death is more accidental than suicidal. For while
the smoker may die today, his death was in great part due to his
first puffs twenty o such delinquent behavior. Similarly when a
smoker started smoking (most start in their teens) chances are the
dangers were unknown. Not only did he not know the danger, but
also he was unaware of the addictive nature of nicotine. So by the
time the dangers were known, he was hooked into what he believed
was a permanent way of life. Thus age and maturity become
powerless as far as smoking is concerned. Maybe strong Government
will finding expression in stringent laws hold the key.
Whatever
the classification--murder, suicide or accident--the end result is
the same.
You still have a chance, you are alive, and you if you stick to
this article series you will know how to quit. Take advantage of
this knowledge. Don't become a smoking
statistic........400,003..........400,004.......
_____________
 End
of poisoned path |A
Puff full of poison 
Quit
smoking index page
|
